A Kingdom of Shadows
by DisneyDaleMunk
Summary: A darkness has begun to spread over the Disney parks, and Mickey has to figure out where it came from, and why it's shadowing his fellow character friends before it's too late.
1. A Silent Night

A/N: Okay, so I've had this idea in my head that I wanted to write a story based on the Disney theme parks. This little story is over five years in the making, and I think I finally know where I'm going with it. So, please bear with me because I'm just getting started on it. Also, the only character that is an original character is the monster.

* * *

**The Kingdom of Shadows**  
Chapter 1: A Silent Night  
By Disneydalemunk

During the day, Disneyland was a bustling park filled with families on vacation, hopes, dreams, and innocence. The joyous sounds of classic Disney music mixed with the contemporary BGM of yesteryear constantly filled the air from hidden speakers. The sounds of laughter and chatter echoed off the forced perspective buildings. The smells of ice cream and roasted almonds and flowers faintly attacked the senses. Even in the dead of winter, the warmth of the California sun eased people into a calm comfort. However, when the doors to Disneyland closed at night, and all the day cast members went home, when the music was silenced and the smells of fresh popcorn and turkey legs had faded, the park was so much more. At night, the park was magic.

A dark figure peered out from behind the firehouse and grinned to himself in a way that could only be described as mischievous. Luckily, third shift custodial wasn't around and the maintenance cast members were busy keeping their attractions oiled and repaired. The figure giggled softly and made his way toward the center of Main Street. His grin faltered slightly when he saw the statue at the far end of the street, the bronze glinting majestically in the moonlight. The figure hummed in disdain to himself and shook his head as he snuck toward the statue.

Making sure no cast members were loitering around, he slipped up onto the platform and carefully made his way past the poinsettias that had been planted for the Christmas season. The figure released a sigh as he crawled around the back of the statue and his slight grin burst into a full blown smile. On the back of the partners statue, by the base of Walt's left foot, was a small button that was both unnoticeable by the untrained eye and small enough to be covered up by the red petals of the poisonous Christmas plant. The figure grinned wickedly to himself and steadied a gloved hand above the small button. Quickly, before he could change his mind, the figure pressed the button with the heel of his hand and watched in astonishment as the bronze base swirled into itself and created a passage, just barely big enough for Mickey Mouse himself to crawl through. The figure silently pumped his hand into the air and slipped into the depths of the tunnel.

The figure crawled through the tunnel for a moment before it started to slope downwards and the ceiling gradually started to get higher. The air in the tunnel went from the cool crispness of a December night to the musky, earthen scent of an underground passage that hardly ever saw a living soul. Slowly, the figure descended, careful to not catch his blue slacks on anything that might tear the old fabric. The darkness around the figure began to swallow any point of light, but he was more than used to the suffocating blackness. Finally, after what seemed like days of endless crawling and then eventually walking upright, the figure happened on a small shred of light. A single torch hung from a grand ceiling, illuminating a door over thirty feet high. The door itself was made of dark mahogany and radiated power so ancient, it might have pre-dated the world itself. Barricades, pulleys, and levers cross-crossed across the door, warning any intruder to stay away, but the figure was far too engrossed with the designs.

Grinning to himself, the figure traced the ornate details across the door. Years of magic and Disney history had etched themselves onto the wood and created a sort of misplaced timeline. The figure felt his tear ducts begin to tingle when he spotted the carving that denoted the birth of Walt Disney. Shaking the tears away, he placed a gloved hand on the door and gasped. The door was thundering softly and rhythmically, almost as if it were alive. Biting his lower lip, the figure steadied himself with a deep breath and glanced upward. In the center of the door was a bronze keyhole, which was strangely disproportionate to the large door. The keyhole was slightly smaller than average, just big enough for a key that fit a toon's hand.

Furrowing his brow, the figure studied the door and slipped a bronze key from around his neck. The keyhole was well over fifteen feet from the base of the door, putting it at ten feet above the figure's head. Eliciting a frustrated grunt, the figure studied the small enclosure. The light from the torch didn't provide much light, but still it was enough to see that there was nothing in sight that he could use to get to the keyhole. Sighing, the figure rolled his shoulders back and flexed his legs. Clearly, he was meant to get a running start and leap toward the keyhole. After all, he was built for jumping.

Loosening his limbs, he stepped farther away from the door, key poised in his right hand, and took a running stance. After counting to three in his head, he rushed the door, and at the very last second, leapt toward the bronze plating. His jump was successful and the key slid gently into the hole and clicked softly into place. With a graceful twist, the key turned in the lock with a firm snap. The figure cackled a triumphant laugh and released the key, falling gently to the floor.

However, his laughter was cut short as a thundering boom shook the cavern, causing the dirt roof to rain debris onto the figure's head. He temporarily cast his gaze upward and flinched slightly when a chunk of dirt smacked him in the right eye. Brushing the soil from his face, he chanced a look back toward the door and cried out in alarm. The door had started to crack open and from the small fissures, a black tar-like substance began to snake its way into the world.

The figure yelped as the black mass thundered against the mahogany door splintering the wood slightly. With every deafening thump against the door, the tar-like substance came that much closer to entering the world. The figure narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip in determination. The tar creature would NOT get out of its cell.

Bounding backward toward the tunnel entrance, the figure quickly turned around, narrowed his whole body into a leaping pose and pushed off the ground. He flew through the air with grace and steadied his shaking limbs. His hands grazed the top of the key and clenched onto the brass loop, sliding it out of the keyhole. With a soft thump, the figure landed safely on the ground. Suddenly, the rumbling silenced and the tar-like substance ceased to move.

The figure sighed to himself and held the delicate bronze key in his hands. Slipping it back around his neck, he proceeded to climb back up the tunnel and poked his head into the crisp night air. Slamming his hand back down onto the tiny button behind Walt's foot, he watched as the secret passageway sealed itself up. He breathed a soft sigh of relief and rested against the bronze statue. Removing the key from around his neck for the second time that night, he glanced up at the starry skies and smiled in a very melancholy way. "That didn't exactly go as I'd expected," he whispered and then pulled out a heart-shaped gold locket from his pocket. He flipped the clasp open and peered into the picture inside. A black and cream colored cat smiled back up at him and he brushed a few stray tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ortensia. I tried. I really did. I thought... I thought I'd finally found a way for you to get out of the Wasteland. I'm sorry."

The figure slumped forward and breathed in the cool air of the very early morning. In just a couple of hours, the park would find itself bustling with guests, cast members, and characters. The smells of the day would come rushing back. The pristine cleanliness that Disneyland was famous for would return. The sounds of laughter and energy would be evident. The magic would be slightly diminished, making way for a bit of reality. And Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, would no longer be sitting at the base of the partner's statue, staring into a locket with his sweetheart's picture in it, and clasping a key made of bronze.


	2. Mouse Trapped

A/N: Yay! It's officially started! I was originally going to make this chapter much... much... much longer, but ces't la vie. I kind of like the length, especially since it is only the second chapter. Anyway, enjoy. Oh, and before you dive right in, I'd like to take this moment to give a shout out to the person who inspired me to write this story. Karalora, a Disney fan-fiction writer on here posted an amazing story called Crowns of the Kingdom. It's totally worth a read if you get the chance. It's full of such depth and personality and drama and romance and (gosh, I'm gushing). Anyway, go read it.

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**The Kingdom of Shadows  
**Chapter 2: Mouse Trapped  
By Disneydalemunk

On an average day at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the park would open at nine and close by ten. The morning Welcome Show would be hosted by one of the citizens of Main Street USA and would feature Mickey Mouse and an onslaught of characters, presenting the first family. The attractions would be up and running by the end of the show and the air would simply be humming with excitement. After a handful of castle shows, street performances, and a day-time parade, the sun would begin to set in the west, leading the park into it's nightly routines. Two Main Street Electrical Parades and a fireworks display affectionally known as Wishes! later, the park's attendance would start to wane and guests would begin to be ushered out by the evening shift cast members. Finally, when the park is devoid of all guests, the cast members would terminate the ride's operations, shut down all food and beverage carts, close the doors to merchandise locations, and return to their homes. This was an average day. So to speak.

Mickey Mouse stared out of the tallest window on the top turret of Cinderella's Castle, a smile playing on his features and his gloved hands balled into fists on his hips. The early morning rays of the sunlight were streaming in, illuminating the mouse's face as he stared down at the cast members preparing for another day of magic. In a few minutes, he would need to make his way over to the Fantasyland/Toontown Train Station to prepare for the welcome show, but for now, he was simply content at staring out over the grounds.

Custodial cast members were polishing the brass workings along Main Street and spreading the colored Mickey shaped confetti into images of famous characters along the pathways. Transportation cast members were grooming horses and hitching them to the carts that were to run up and down Main Street, chauffeuring guests to and from Cinderella Castle to the flagpole at the beginning of Main Street USA. Trainers were giving their new trainees the grand tour of the Kingdom before it officially opened for guests. Inside the Confectionary, the aromas of freshly baked rice crisped treats wafted out of the open doors and further down Main Street toward the castle, Mickey could smell the heavenly aroma of waffle cones being baked. Landscaping cast members were pruning the trees near Crystal Palace and watering the roses in the Rose Garden.

The music of the park drifted in on the open breeze. A soft, instrumental, upbeat version of the Mickey Mouse march echoed off the buildings on Main Street. The sounds of tribal drums beat a steady tune from the direction of Adventureland. The twinkling of bells from Fantasyland chimed in the distance, acting as if the seven dwarfs were mining somewhere beyond the guests' line of sight. The whoosh! of spaceships from Tomorrowland hissed from the left. They could all be heard from Mickey's perch on the turret.

Mickey leaned against the window sill and put his chin in a hand, the smile on his face growing as the magic of the park dusted over him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small flicker of gold swish toward him from Tom Sawyer's Island. Tinker Bell. He perked up and smiled as the tiny pixie soared towards him and landed gracefully on the stones beside his gloved hands. "Gosh! Hiya, Tink!" He watched as Tinker Bell touched her fingertips to her temple and saluted in a greeting. Mickey was used to translating her animation. After all, Tinker Bell had been a part of the Walt-era of movies. He had watched her grow from the original Peter Pan movie's animation to the newest 3-D movies that featured her and her fairy friends. Mickey couldn't imagine a world without Tinker Bell. She motioned with a quick bob of her head toward Main Street and Mickey grinned.

He nodded as he saw the Trolley kids make their way from the Central Hub toward the Train Station. It was time. Soon, the music would swell with an upbeat interlude, the welcome show would start, and the park would open for business. Mickey sighed happily to himself and his mind raced on who would be performing. Scoop Sanderson was off in California at an expo that was supposed to relate all the news of the new Disney Dream ship that would make its maiden voyage in January, so that meant that he wouldn't be there. Since Scoop normally did the Welcome show, that left either the fire chief Smokey Miller or Mayor Weaver. Mickey flinched and then berated himself for it. He liked both of them. A lot. They were funny and kind and all around great people, but Smokey was one of those people who liked to turn everything into a bad fire-related pun and the Mayor was always trying to talk to Mickey to see if he could secure the character vote for the next election. Sighing, Mickey looked down at Tink and held out a hand, palm side up. "Ready to make a few dreams come true, Tink?"

Tink nodded brightly and flew up, landing gracefully onto his outstretched palm. Mickey knew that she was always ready to make the Disney parks something that Walt himself would be proud of. She was ready to make the magic. "Aw, gee," Mickey replied to the fairy's enthusiasm. "We'll, let's go then!" He held out his hand toward the sky, letting it drop from underneath Tinker Bell's small weight, turned, and darted down the stairs with as much energy as when he was first created. If someone were to guess Mickey's age, the wouldn't dream of thinking he was eighty-two. He had the energy and the demeanor as a twenty year old, but then again, that's how he was drawn. How he was created. And how he would always remain.

* * *

The guests had all left and Mickey Mouse pushed open the door of his Judge's tent that led to backstage. Backstage was nothing like being on-stage. On-stage was crisp, clean, and fit for a production as grand as Walt would have wanted it. Backstage was simply... devoid of that grandness. Construction materials hid behind tall green walls and non-themed garbage cans littered the side of the road. Three bright blue port-a-potties stood off to the side, their foul smell masked by a faint aroma of warm pretzels. Mickey stretched his arms above his head and rubbed the back of his neck as he made his way to the bus-stop behind Toontown. Rubbing a kink out of his shoulders, his dark onyx eyes fell onto the building structure that would very soon become the Little Mermaid show building. Beyond the construction walls, Fantasyland glowed with a soft purple light, dotted with golden hues. His tired gaze brightened slightly. Although he would miss Toontown, he was glad that the most memorable section of the park would finally be complete in the near future.

A Disney bus pulled up to the stop and Mickey rose from the bench and climbed aboard. Third-shift custodial and a handful of managers were already sitting in the plastic purple seats. A few people had their ipods on and the headphone buds in their ears. One elderly man was sipping a cup of coffee. A young looking lady in a navy blue business suit glanced up and smiled at Mickey. Mickey smiled back and nodded to her, choosing to grab a seat behind the driver. "Hiya, Matt," Mickey chirped happily to the driver.

The driver smiled over his shoulder at the mouse and shut the door. "Evening, boss man! How goes it?" The bus lurched into forward motion and the lights in the cabin shut off, developing Mickey and the cast members into a comfortable darkness.

Mickey shrugged to himself, smoothing out another kink in his right shoulder. "Same as always. Buncha awesome little kids today. We hadda little girl who was dressed up as Minnie come through our line today. She had the dress an' the ears an' everythin'." Mickey chuckled to himself. He loved kids, especially when they were so devoted to dressing up as his best gal.

"Awesome, boss man! Oh an' speakin' of kids..." Matt chuckled to himself. "I'm taking my little ones to the Christmas party tomorrow night. They're real excited to see ya in the parade."

Mickey smiled and glanced out the window. The bus was very nearly at its destination: the back of the tunnels to the Magic Kingdom. "Sounds great, Matt! I'll make sure ta wave to them." The bus slowed to a stop and Mickey climbed out of his seat. "Well, say hi to Gemma and the girls for me, okay? I really miss them." He smiled when the bus driver grunted an affirmative and bounded down the steps of the bus. He sighed to himself and began to walk toward the entrance of the tunnels. The smells of the cast cafeteria, affectionally titled the Mousketeria, grazed past his nose. Burgers and french fries and Subway subs made his stomach rumble, but he ignored it. Right now, he had more pressing matters to take care of. A quick check up in the character base with the captains to make sure everything went over as smooth as possible and then, he would be home, and he could eat there, warm and comfortable in his oversized recliner, Pluto's head on his lap, and classic cartoons playing on the television.

As he turned the corner into the hexagonal section of the tunnels, Mickey's eyes focused on a tall lanky figure and its short feathered companion. His weary grin broke into a full blown smile as he spotted his two best friends in the whole world. "Goofy! Donald!" he cried, bounding over to them.

The tall anthropomorphic dog and shorter short-tempered duck turned toward him and Mickey saw their faces light up. "Gwarsh, Mickey! Hi!" Goofy cried, scooping his little friend up into a big hug. "Sure is good to see ya!"

Donald quickly wiped the smile off his face and crossed his arms over his chest, giving Mickey his best agitated glare. "You were supposed ta' eat lunch with us, you know."

Mickey blushed sheepishly from under Goofy's bear hug and cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. There was some problems with the new Tangled meet and greet. Had to go and take care of that." He grinned softly at the tall dog as he released him from his death grip.

Goofy gave the shorter mouse a look. "What was goin' on that they needed you to come take care of it?"

Mickey shrugged nonchalantly. "Apparently, one of the new attendants who just got trained was having some issues with the way it's run and was trying to pressure Eugene and Rapunzel into doing things they aren't supposed to do. Other than that, it's probably best not to talk about it much. The attendant has been talked to and appropriate measures have been taken regarding his schedule in the next couple of weeks."

Donald scratched the back of his neck. "Gee, Mickey, that sounds kinda serious."

Mickey shrugged a bit and grinned. "Nah. Not really. Just a minor detail that had to be taken care of. It's okay." He gave his two best friends an award winning grin and started toward the character base. "Besides, don't you two think it's time for us to start getting home? It's getting really late and I want to make sure that things are taken care of around here before we go."

Donald gave Mickey a thumbs up and winked. "Sleep sounds like a great idea actually." Almost as if to emphasize his point, he yawned loudly and Mickey and Goofy chuckled. Their slight giggles slowly diminished when a low rumbling echoed through the tunnels from the way of Adventureland and Liberty Square. The trio glanced at each other in confusion and three pairs of eyes grew larger as the rumbling grew louder.

Mickey turned toward the sound and narrowed his eyes in confusion. He yelped when he saw a blur of orange and black dash from around the corner and barrel right into him. He yelped as the force of the larger body crashed into him and threw him backwards. "Gosh! Um hey, Mickeroo! Gee! Wish there was time to talk, but there's something really scary that's a-followin' me!" Tigger cried and leapt off of Mickey's body. The tiger chanced a glance over his shoulder and shuddered, dashing off toward the character wardrobe room. Mickey rubbed the back of his neck as he sat up from the stone floor and his ears perked up at the sounds of screaming that echoed off the side tunnels.

Goofy cleared his throat rather calmly and Mickey turned toward his taller friend. "Uh, Mick, if those screams and Tigger's reaction are anything to be worried about, maybe we should either take charge or flee for our lives?"

Donald held up a single finger. "I vote for fleeing."

Normally, Mickey would have agreed with Donald and turned tail and ran, especially since he wasn't exactly magically equipped, but those were cast members screaming. He had to do something. He had to! Rolling up the sleeves of his Judge's jacket, he steadied himself and began marching toward the sounds of the screams. Just as he rounded the corner, he felt his heart freeze. Cast members from all departments were scattered on the ground in the long tunnel, completely unconscious. Metal pipes had grown a thin layer of frost while patches of sludge had completely and totally frozen over. Boxes of merchandise were coated with icicles. "What the..." Mickey muttered and his onyx eyes grew wide as he saw a dark tar-like substance creep slowly toward him. Memories of a recent video game he had filmed resurfaced in his mind and his heart hammered in his chest like it was a frightened bird. That substance. Mickey knew that substance.

_No. That's not it. That's not the Phantom Blot._

Mickey yelped at the voice in his head denied his thoughts.

_It's something much more evil. More ancient. More powerful. This evil predates you. You are not fast enough. You are not smart enough. You are not strong enough. You cannot hope to defeat this new threat. At least not at this point in time. Get out. Get out while you still can. Run, Mickey. Run. Survive!_

Mickey snapped back to reality forcefully when he was seized under his armpits and dragged toward the character wardrobe room. His legs felt like lead and when he turned to see who had grabbed him, he found his eyelids heavy and his eyes unable to focus. "Wh - what happ..."

"You nearly passed out. We're getting you somewhere safe. We gotta go! Now!" Donald cried, hoisting the mouse up a little bit more. Goofy nodded, and a serious expression crossed his features. Within seconds, the trio had disappeared into the double doors of wardrobe across from the dressing rooms and had slammed the doors shut, dutifully locking them.

"Wh - what about the c-cast members? We... we can't just - we can't just leave them. We... we gotta get rid of that... that thing!" Exhaustion was creeping up on Mickey and he sighed. His knees gave way under him and he collapsed. In seconds, Mickey was out like a light.

* * *

And he was dreaming.

Mickey was standing in a very long, very brightly lit white hallway. The white doors with their crystal doorknobs were both gleaming and reflecting the bright light. Mickey had to squint to make sure he wouldn't be blinded. He grunted against the light and walked forward down the hallway, turning a sharp corner. From that corner, thousands of hallways crisscrossed together to form an elaborate labyrinth. Mickey doubled back but instead of the long white hallway, he found even more twists and turns until he was completely and totally lost in a gleaming white maze. The walls shone with such a bright light from an unidentifiable source that Mickey grit his teeth in determination. The crystal doorknobs reflected hundreds of thousands of colors and reflected the light into Mickey's eyes. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyelids. "Uh, hello?" he called out and despite the multitudes of walls, his voice vibrated and echoed as if he were in a huge empty room. The sound caused his heart to flutter in fear. "Is anyone there? Hello? Can someone help me?"

Silence.

Fear was starting to ebb its way into Mickey's veins and a million questions slammed full-force into his brain. Why was he here? Where were Goofy and Donald? What was that substance if it wasn't the Phantom Blot? Were the cast members dead? Where was he? Why was he alone? Why was it so bright? "WHAT'S GOING ON!" Mickey screamed against the still air and suddenly the lights dimmed drastically against his shut eyelids.

"No need to shout, Mickey," a warm voice called out gently.

Mickey turned toward the sound and his eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the drastic change of stark white brightness to a dull flourescent glow. He could make out a shape sitting at a dark mahogany desk. A lit cigarette sat in a glass ashtray and Mickey could make out the faint smell of a familiar brand. Somehow, he gave his heart a saddening jerk and then settled deep in his chest. As his eyes became more and more adjusted to the normal light, Mickey could make out more and more details. He was in a comfortably warm room. On a mantle to his left was a statue of Cinderella and her Prince Charming dancing to invisible music. On an opposite mantle to his right sat a golden Oscar with seven little Oscars. Detailed charts of "The Florida Project" decorated the wall underneath the statues. Black couches sat in a semi-circle around a mahogany coffee table. Teacups decorated in styles of the attraction named after the Mad Hatter sat on matching saucers. The back wall was simply a giant window that looked out onto a theme park. A glittering pink castle sparkled in the afternoon sun. Mickey turned back toward the figure and cocked an eye. "Who are you?" he asked, but his voice came out calm and mellow. Suddenly, the cloud over Mickey's eyes lifted and was replaced by tears that threatened to spill from the over the mouse's lower lids. "Walt?"

Walt Disney steepled his fingers and smiled over them at his creation. His warm light brown eyes twinkled with excitement, adventure and a little bit of childish mischief. His brown mustache wiggled as his smile broke into a cheshire grin. He was wearing a red sweater vest over a white collared button down shirt. Both were neat and clean and it looked as if he had just stepped off a magazine. "Hello, Mickey Mouse." He lowered his steepled fingers and waved the mouse over. "Come. Sit with me." Stunned into silence, Mickey obliged and noticed a couple of benches next to the window that he failed to see before. He took a seat across from Walt and his heart thumped in its cage. He wanted so badly to hug his best friend, his creator, and in all senses of the word, his father. He watched as Walt turned toward the window and sighed softly. "Mickey, look out there and tell me what you see."

Mickey turned his eyes toward the window and smiled appreciatively. "Disneyland."

"Correct. But what's different about it? What's different and yet familiar about it at the same time? Take a good, hard look."

Mickey stared at the park and thought about it for a second. Sure it was familiar. It was Disneyland, after all. But Mickey's eyes cast themselves over the land. It seemed... empty, somehow. The trees weren't as full. The castle wasn't as bright. There was something in the air that suggested the park before it's current time. Mickey's eyes widened. "It's... it's the park the year you..." he turned to Walt and gasped. Walt was no longer a young man with a brown mustache and a bright twinkle in his eye. His normally brown hair was silver and his mustache was peppered with grey and silver streaks. The twinkle had been subdued. His breath was ragged and slightly off. It was Walt as Mickey had last seen him. Walt as the world had last seen him.

He smiled warmly, but Mickey could tell he was sick. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and forced back the tears. "Correct, Mickey. The year I died."

The tears spilled over Mickey's cheeks at the word and he turned his head away. When Walt had died, Mickey was comatose for months. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't sleep, and the world had noticed his suffering. But somehow, he had gotten through his grief back then. But now... Now it was like he was re-living the experience. He was experiencing Walt's death all over again.

"Hey, now. Enough of that, Mickey. You've got more important things to think about." MIckey sighed and looked up at his friend, brushing the tears from his eyes. "This new evil that has settled in your world... it's... well... it's something that's too powerful for you to tackle right now, and as much as I hate to say it, Mickey, things are only going to get worse from here on out. People - your friends - are going to be taken. Worse case scenario, some of them might even die. This evil, as much as I hate to say it, is the oldest thing I created. I accidentally made it come to life years before your legacy. Years even before your brother Oswald's legacy. I thought I had it hidden in the safest place possible, but it's gotten out. Someone opened the door to it's cell and it's slowly leaking out."

"Walt..." Mickey's voice caught in his throat. During his explanation, Walt was slowly starting to fade. At first it wasn't noticeable, but now Mickey could see the details of EPCOT behind his best friend. "Walt... don't leave me."

"I'm sorry, Mickey. My time here is up and you'll be waking up soon. Listen. When I created that monster, I used a special pen. I used that same pen to create you and Oswald. This pen is basically the force that gives all of my creations and all of the creations that came after my time to life. If this creature gets its hands on this pen, it'll use it to destroy you. You must find the pen. Recruit as many as you can to find it and destroy it for good so that no harm comes to you. Lock the creature back in it's cell. Find the pen. Find the key. Destroy them. Do you understand?"

Mickey nodded and as he did so, Walt disappeared and a wall of blackness slammed full force into him.

* * *

"Oh d-d-dear," a small voice echoed in the back of Mickey's brain. "What if he never wakes up!"

Mickey felt a small pressure on his shoulder and a soft twinkling voice called out. "Mickey? Please don't be dead."

"Gwarsh, Mick. We need ya. Please come back to us."

Mickey's eyes slowly fluttered open and he groaned from the overhead flourescent lights. They reminded him too much of his dream. "I - I'm not dead," he muttered softly, shutting his eyes against the bright light. He groaned and attempted to sit up, but it felt like his veins were filled with cement. He felt his head being lifted and set onto a pair of soft legs and smiled when a gentle hand brushed against his forehead. "What happened?"

"Mickey, whatever that thing was... it's gone now. We're safe for the time being," Cinderella replied, her voice light and airy. He slowly opened his eyes again, letting them adjust to the bright lights above. He was sitting on the tiled floor in wardrobe. Cinderella was sitting on her legs behind him, supporting his head in her lap. Belle and Aurora were on either side of them, brushing his fur back and dabbing at his forehead with handkerchiefs. Donald and Goofy were sitting in front of him, and if either of their expressions were anything to go on, they were both scared out of their minds. Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet were close by as well.

"And the cast members?" Mickey asked.

Donald pointed to a large pile of clothes that Mickey had neglected to see. Hundreds of extra princess dresses and spare outfits for Mickey and his other character friends were littered across the long hallways of wardrobe and nestled in their warmth, about half a dozen cast members were sleeping soundly. "We freaked out when you collapsed on us, but Tigger and Eeyore grabbed everyone and made sure that they were okay. They're fine. They're just sleeping. Apparently, that _thing_ just drains away all the energy of anything it touches."

Mickey nodded and felt a bit of his strength returning. He pushed himself up off of Cinderella's lap and struggled to stand. "Okay, so they'll be fine. Let them sleep here tonight. I'll stay with them to make sure they're going to be okay. The rest of you, go home to the Crystal Kingdom. Get some sleep. It's already very late and I don't want anything to distract you from tomorrow's Christmas party. When these guys wake up, I'll make sure they get home safely." Mickey watched as Donald and Goofy exchanged a look and narrowed his eyes. "No. I know what you two are thinking and the answer is no. Go home. Go to bed. I'll be fine."

"But, Mickey..." Donald cried but Mickey held out a hand to silence him.

He smiled gently and hugged one of his best friends. "Seriously, Donald. I'll be okay. I think whatever that thing was, it won't come back tonight. We'll be fine."


End file.
